Deck 14: Jobs and the Design of Work

Question 1

is the process of linking jobs and departments into a cohesive whole.

A) Integration
B) Simplification
C) Enrichment
D) Enlargement

Answer 1

A

Question 2

In the context of meaning of work, which of the following is true of work that help in explaining the cultural differences?

A) Pattern F people view work as an activity constrained to specific time periods.
B) Pattern C people define work as an activity that provides a person with positive personal affect and identity.
C) Pattern A people define work as a physically and mentally strenuous activity.
D) Pattern D people define work as an self-directed activity in which value comes from performance.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

According to Frederick Taylor, the role of management and the industrial engineer is to:

A) provide the strategic direction of the organization.
B) set appropriate financial goals for the organization.
C) insure that the organization adds economic value.
D) calibrate and define each task carefully.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Scientific management places emphasis primarily on:

A) work simplification.
B) definition of management authority.
C) job variety.
D) interpersonal aspects of work design.

Question 5

A mental or physical activity that has productive results is known as:

A) role outcomes.
B) organizational position.
C) career.
D) work.

Question 6

The basic building blocks of task-authority relationships in an organization are:

A) authority-responsibility relationships.
B) values.
C) power and influence.
D) jobs.

Question 7

According to Frederick Taylor, the role of a worker is to:

A) think and deliberate over the various tasks needed to be performed.
B) provide the necessary effort required in the exchange relationship.
C) act as an agent on behalf of the management.
D) execute the task defined by the management.

Question 8

Job enlargement is largely a response to:

A) the decreases in productivity.
B) a need to overcome the boredom associated with overspecialized work.
C) a need to re-engineer jobs due to an increase in the utilization of technology.
D) the disappointing affects of job rotation.

Question 9

A shortcoming of scientific management is that:

A) it doesn't bring about a close match of worker capabilities and demands of the job.
B) it removes or reduces managerial authority of supervisors.
C) it undervalues human capacity for thought and creativity.
D) it only works in manufacturing settings.

Question 10

Scientific management includes all of the following elements except:

A) utilization of human capacity for ingenuity and thought.
B) efficient use of labor to the economic benefit of the corporation.
C) standardization and the narrow, explicit specification of task activities for workers.
D) scientific selection and job placement of workers.

Question 11

A job is defined as:

A) a sequence of experiences.
B) an activity that has productive results.
C) the way a person interprets the value of work.
D) a set of specified work and task activities.

Question 12

The process of subdividing and departmentalizing an organization is .

A) incorporating
B) organizing
C) differentiation
D) controlling

Question 13

Which of the following is an argument used to support the standardized job approach of scientific management?

A) Job clarity led to more satisfied workers.
B) Workers were basically lazy and not prone to self-motivation.
C) Workers needed the clarity of jobs provided during this period of time given the complexity of the work.
D) Simplifying work allowed workers of diverse ethnic backgrounds to work together in a systematic way.

Question 14

The standardization and the narrow, explicit specification of task activities for workers is defined as:

A) cross-training.
B) work simplification.
C) job enlargement.
D) production efficiency.

Question 15

Contrary to the famous statement made by Harold Geneen, former Chairman of ITT, "If I had enough arms and legs and time, I'd do it all myself," all organizations must divide work. This contradictory view reflects the understanding that jobs result from:

A) integration.
B) differentiation.
C) goal setting.
D) work variation.

Question 16

Job enlargement was developed to overcome the problem of:

A) complexity associated with job enrichment.
B) ambiguity associated with the Job Characteristics Model.
C) boredom associated with overspecialized work.
D) uncertainty associated with repeated redesign of jobs.

Question 17

Mass production jobs:

A) tend to be nonrepetitive.
B) require minimal mental attention.
C) are self-paced.
D) require craftsman level skills.

Question 18

In the context of meaning of work, similarities among countries appear to exist in:

A) job enrichment and satisfaction.
B) determinants of job involvement.
C) work content and job context.
D) positive feedback and valued rewards.

Question 19

The process of connecting jobs and departments into a coordinated, cohesive whole is known as:

A) structuring.
B) enlargement.
C) simplification.
D) integration.

Question 20

An organizational position is identified as:

A) an employee's specific work and task activities in an organization.
B) a job in relation to other parts of the organization.
C) a mental of physical activity that has productive results.
D) a sequence of job experiences over time.

Question 21

An office manager is trying to find ways to enlarge or expand several clerical jobs that he supervises. One approach is to:

A) reschedule work into a flextime arrangement.
B) rotate employees among several positions.
C) increase clerical tasks or duties performed by each individual.
D) more effectively match worker skills to job requirements.

Question 22

Which of the following core job characteristics is most closely associated with job enlargement?

A) Task significance
B) Job autonomy
C) Task identity
D) Skill variety

Question 23

The Job Diagnostic Survey refers to:

A) employees' job design satisfaction.
B) the survey instrument used to measure the elements in the Job Characteristics Model.
C) the job design survey instrument used to measure the degree of satisfaction with the job.
D) elements in job design.

Question 24

Which of the following are the three facets of autonomy according to recent studies conducted in Egypt aimed to disaggregate the work autonomy component of job design theory?

A) Work method, work schedule, and work criteria autonomy
B) Skill variety, task identity, and task significance
C) Work complexity, time constraints, and outcome measurement
D) Work variation, job rotation, and task significance

Question 25

The Job Characteristics Model is considered to be a(n):

A) universal job design model.
B) compensatory model.
C) social model.
D) person-job fit model.

Question 26

The problem of overspecialization has been addressed by:

A) increasing the variety in jobs.
B) increasing participation.
C) increasing authority at lower levels.
D) renewing emphasis on integration.

Question 27

A negative outcome of the mechanistic approach to job design is:

A) higher absenteeism.
B) greater chance of errors.
C) greater chance of mental overload and stress.
D) higher financial costs due to changes.

Question 28

Which of the following is NOT one of the core job characteristics of the Hackman model?

A) Feedback from job itself
B) Autonomy
C) Interpersonal interaction
D) Task identity

Question 29

A study on task complexity with respect to the social information processing perspective of job design revealed that:

A) objective task complexity must be distinguished from the subjective task complexity experienced by an employee.
B) the cognitive information processing capability of an individual determines the objective complexity of a task.
C) objective job characteristics are unimportant as motivators.
D) the objective estimate of a task difficulty is the most important motivator.

Question 30

A problem with job enrichment as a strategy for work design is that:

A) it overemphasizes individual differences.
B) it is based on a complex motivational theory.
C) increasing variety has its motivational limits.
D) it is based on an oversimplified motivational theory.

Question 31

The core job dimension in the Job Characteristics Model that is linked to the psychological state of experiencing responsibility for work outcomes is known as:

A) feedback.
B) task identity.
C) task significance.
D) autonomy.

Question 32

The Job Characteristics Model is a(n):

A) job enrichment approach to job design.
B) person-job fit approach to job design.
C) task specification approach to job design.
D) individual abilities approach to job design.

Question 33

Designing or redesigning a job by incorporating motivational factors into it is known as:

A) job enrichment.
B) job enlargement.
C) job rotation.
D) job characteristics model.

Question 34

Job enrichment builds on:

A) McClelland's power motive.
B) Vroom's expectancy model of motivation.
C) Maslow's need for esteem.
D) Herzberg's two-factor motivation theory.

Question 35

Job rotation and cross-training are variations of:

A) job enrichment.
B) job enlargement.
C) work expansion.
D) work specialization.

Question 36

Selecting the textbook, formulating course objectives, specifying course requirements, determining instructional methods, preparing exams, and evaluating student performance provide the college professor with:

A) skill homogeneity.
B) task specificity.
C) autonomy.
D) feedback.

Question 37

Research on the social information processing view of job design supports the view that:

A) while objective task complexity may be a motivator, social interaction may be an important additional source of motivation.
B) people's perceptions and reactions to their jobs are shaped by objective job characteristics.
C) objective job characteristics are unimportant and do not affect organizational workers' motivation.
D) an objective estimate of a task's difficulty is more important to a person's motivation than a subjective feedback of others.

Question 38

When a secretarial employee is given the responsibility and signature authority to handle certain types of correspondence, the job is:

A) enriched.
B) enlarged.
C) horizontally loaded.
D) rotated.

Question 39

The degree to which a job entails completion of a whole task is known as:

A) autonomy.
B) task significance.
C) skill variety.
D) task identity.

Question 40

The expression of oneself as one performs in work or other roles is known as:

A) task identity.
B) job involvement.
C) commitment.
D) engagement.

Question 41

All of the following are important components or approaches to the interdisciplinary approach to job design except:

A) social aspects of the work environment.
B) biological aspects of the work environment.
C) mechanistic approach.
D) motivational approach.

Question 42

Employees may experience technostress when:

A) flextime is used.
B) electronic performance monitoring is used.
C) job tasks are certain.
D) job enrichment is successful.

Question 43

The sociotechnical system:

A) gives equal attention to scientific and communal considerations in job design.
B) gives technology and engineering the most weight in job design decisions.
C) emphasizes social concern and encourages a high degree of worker control over industrial efficiency.
D) uses committed employees with ever expanding responsibilities to achieve zero waste every time.

Question 44

An alternative work arrangement in which employees must be present to perform job duties during a required core time but starting and ending work times can vary is:

A) job sharing.
B) telecommuting.
C) task restructuring.
D) flextime.

Question 45

In the context of interdisciplinary approach to job design, motivational approach is grounded in:

A) experimental psychology.
B) sociology.
C) Maslow's needs hierarchy.
D) industrial psychology.

Question 46

If one were to redesign jobs to increase the health and well-being of one's workforce, which of the following set of job characteristics would be the most beneficial?

A) Increase worker control, job enlargement, and job enrichment
B) Reduce worker uncertainty, increase worker control, and job enlargement
C) Reduce worker uncertainty, increase worker control, and manage conflict
D) Increase pay, reduce worker uncertainty, and job enlargement

Question 47

The following are guidelines which can help make electronic workplace monitoring of performance less distressful except:

A) using performance records to improve performance.
B) having employees participate in the introduction of workplace monitoring.
C) using state-of-the-art monitoring equipment to record performance.
D) insuring performance are perceived by employees as fair.

Question 48

Which of the following statements regarding telecommuting is most accurate?

A) Telecommuting is neither a cure-all nor a universally feasible alternative.
B) Managers who use telecommuting place greater emphasis on the worker than the work.
C) Many telecommuters have not felt a sense of social isolation as frequently predicted.
D) Telecommuting does not have the potential to create sweatshops of the 21st century.

Question 49

The anthropocentric job design approach places emphasis on:

A) engineering considerations.
B) union-management cooperation.
C) work-group and team skills.
D) good social support systems.

Question 50

Given the nature or structure of the economy with respect to the degree of service jobs, the most important job skills would be .

A) technical skills
B) interpersonal skills
C) conceptual skills
D) strategic skills

Question 51

The meaning of work is the way a person interprets and understands the value of work as part of life.

Question 52

Lower job satisfaction, motivation, and higher absenteeism are the negative outcomes that are anticipated with to job design.

A) perceptual/motor approach
B) biological approach
C) motivational approach
D) mechanistic approach

Question 53

Work is meaningful only when someone is paid for performing job tasks.

Question 54

The interdisciplinary approach to job design emphasizing a person's interaction with physical aspects of the work environment and concern with physical exertion is the:

A) biological approach.
B) mechanistic approach.
C) perceptual/motor approach.
D) motivational approach.

Question 55

An analysis of medical claims at Chaparral Steel Co. identified lower back problems as the most common problem experienced by steelworkers and managers alike. The job approach most appropriate for this problem would be:

A) mechanistic.
B) biological.
C) perceptual/motor.
D) motivational.

Question 56

In the design of jobs and work organizations, Germans:

A) emphasize personal identity and social benefits of work.
B) value hierarchy and authority relationships.
C) focus on collectivism.
D) strongly endorse unionism.

Question 57

Which of the following statements best reflects an international view of job design?

A) The biological approach appears to be the most common approach.
B) The job enrichment approach has been applied the most in international cultures.
C) Each country's perspective is distinct and forged within its unique cultural and economic system.
D) Asian and Western approaches are very different but within each area there are marked similarities.

Question 58

A mobile platform of computer, telecommunication, and information technology and services is called a(n):

A) network.
B) virtual office.
C) office module.
D) intranet.

Question 59

The interdisciplinary approach to job design by Michael Campion and Paul Thayer emphasized only the social aspects of the work environment because:

A) social dimensions are too difficult to measure accurately.
B) social dimensions have not been able to predict very accurately how individuals respond to job characteristics.
C) no one approach can solve all performance problems caused by poorly designed jobs.
D) poorly designed jobs need a biological approach and the emphasis on the physical aspect of the job.

Question 60

Designing jobs that will result in better employee health and productivity is a concern of both international scholars and organizations. All of the following would reduce worker uncertainty in a job except:

A) providing employees with timely and complete information needed for their work.
B) making clear and unambiguous work assignments.
C) designing machines and tasks with optimal response times and/or ranges.
D) improving communication at shift change time.

Question 61

Task significance in the Job Characteristics Model is the degree to which one's job requires completion of a whole task.

Question 62

Job context is determined by the amount of responsibility in the job.

Question 63

The study of 629 employment security work units in California and Wisconsin concluded that the adverse effect of the work design parameter task uncertainty will not be mitigated by other work design parameters such as higher pay or a supportive work environment.

Question 64

Jobs that exhibit skill variety, task identity and significance, autonomy, and experience feedback are more likely to be satisfying.

Question 65

The biological approach to job design emphasizes the job incumbent's interaction with physical aspects of work.

Question 66

Psychological connection occurs when organizational members are harnessed to their work roles.

Question 67

Work schedule has been found to be a separate facet of work autonomy.

Question 68

Herzberg suggested that only certain jobs should be enriched and that the first step is to select the jobs appropriate for job enrichment.

Question 69

The Japanese place greater importance on a work design strategy that encourages worker control rather than manager control of the workplace.

Question 70

The social information processing model emphasizes objective core job characteristics.

Question 71

Telecommuting has been around since the 1970s.

Question 72

The anthropocentric approach places human considerations at the center of job design decisions.

Question 73

The interdisciplinary perceptual/motor approach is more relevant to managerial, administrative, and custodial jobs.

Question 74

A fundamental limitation of scientific management is that it undervalues the human capacity for thought and ingenuity.

Question 75

Scientific management involves enriching job tasks and demands.

Question 76

Jobs in an assembly line manufacturing operation are highly interdependent.

Question 77

Job rotation and cross-training are variations of job enrichment.

Question 78

Job enlargement is a method that proposes to overcome the limitations of overspecialized work, such as boredom.

Question 79

Perceptual/motor approaches to job design result in higher personnel utilization levels.

Question 80

The Job Characteristics Model generally takes a person-job fit approach to the design of work.